This Kiss
by WowRandomPerson
Summary: Zuko and Katara stray off the paths fate provided for them to enjoy a moment together. Takes place immediately after Katara heals Zuko after his Agni Kai with Azula. Major fluff.


Katara rested her head against Zuko's chest and took his cold hand as if to comfort him as they helplessly watched Azula's chained rampage. It disturbed him to no end to see his sister, who had once been so strong and powerful and completely under control, broken and chained like a common criminal. Despite all the terrible things she had done to him and those he loved and the intense hatred he harbored toward her actions, he couldn't help but feel overwhelming pity for her in this shattered state. She seemed so little, so degraded. She was his sister, after all, even if she rarely acted as such.

But he took great comfort in having Katara close to him, not saying a word, but merely being present. Her congenial presence was soothing and cool, like the water she used to heal wounds. He nearly smiled at the thought that she was powerful enough even to soothe the wounds of his scarred mind which, at times, seemed so hopelessly lost in an abyssal maze of darkness.

Katara could sense his distress. Her limited physical contact with him evolved into a tight embrace; she nestled her head to his chest and wrapped her arms around his strong shoulders. She was all too aware of her head resting against his bare chest, just above the spot where the lightning had pierced him just minutes ago. Another scar for him to bear. She could hear his heart beating rhythmically inside his chest, the heart that so few moments ago Katara feared she had lost forever. Katara could see the moment replaying in her mind over and over again: frozen with shock and fear, all she could do was watch as the blinding lightning rushed toward her, sure, in that short moment, of her imminent death. But Zuko intervened. Katara could see him running, jumping into the lightning's path and absorbing the force of his sister's blast; he was only successful in redirecting some of the energy.

Her feelings during the comet-enhanced Agni Kai came back to her so clearly. She had been completely terrified when Azula struck Zuko with lightning, petrified when she saw him collapse to the ground in pain and weakness, frozen with fully-realized horror when she grasped that he had taken the blow for _her_. She felt as though her heart would be ripped out of her chest as she watched him writhe on the ground in agony, jolts of electricity still tormenting his body as Azula taunted them. He had saved her life and she could not bear to lose yet another person she loved.

Zuko wrapped his arms around her waist to return her hug. She was so close. With her head nestled to his chest like that, he could just fold his head down and plant a single kiss in gratitude on the top of her head, in a sea of mocha hair…

But, no. Zuko restrained himself. He had never been the master of self-control, but he was intuitive and intelligent enough to know he had _his _Destiny, and she had _hers_, and that their paths were never meant to intertwine permanently. After all, she had the Avatar, and the Avatar had his own little infatuation with her, so obvious and blatant to everyone who saw his interactions with her. Fire was not meant to intermingle with water. Despite his somewhat longtime admiration—_love, _even—for the girl he held in his arms, he told himself that it was just an ephemeral flare of passion, not to be acted upon or followed through. If he did so now, there would be no future gratification for either of them. There would only be dull pain and memories. Too many times he had let his heart get in the way of his duty. But no, Zuko resolved, not _this_ time. There was no way she way about him the way he felt about her. He respected Katara too much to play with her heart in a time of uncertainty such as this. She had just saved his life and what was he going to do in return? Take advantage of her vulnerable state of shock. That wasn't right.

Zuko broke away from her embrace and turned; he began walking briskly back in the direction of Appa.

As Katara watched Zuko walk away from her in shock of his sudden denial and slightly humiliated, she did her best to remind herself that she _could_ _not_ love him. And even if she did, she couldn't have a future with him. As idyllic and perfect as that moment had been—Zuko holding her in his strong arms—it had been just that: a moment. A single moment drowned in the vast sea of time.

But right now, she couldn't deny her feelings any longer. This was the little time they had together before they submitted to Fate, and that short amount of time was slipping through her fingers like sand.

"Zuko! Wait!"

Katara surprised herself when she called out to him. She surprised herself further when she ran after him. When she caught up to him, she took hold of his right arm around his elbow—her action was more forcible than she had originally intended. She had not readied herself for what she was about to do; for once, she did not have a set plan in mind. She just wanted to let what was to happen as a consequence of her actions happen, no matter how recklessly she took upon the task at hand. Though she was normally so strong, stubborn, unyielding, and under control, for this moment, she opened herself shamelessly to the push and pull of her emotions.

When Zuko's golden eyes met Katara's blue ones, he couldn't help but admire how beautiful she was. Her face was so delicately structured and her eyes so wide and bright that his breath caught in his throat at the full sight of her face in the light of the setting sun. Her hair was unruly from fighting Azula, and still slightly damp. She had a strange, wild look in her sparkling sapphire eyes. Zuko wondered what she was going to say in her moment of hesitation, when suddenly…

She reached up and kissed him.

There was another moment of hesitation from both sides which was caused by shock but which passed with ease. The two teenagers were suddenly aware of the burning passion that ignited inside of them, a flame like nothing either had experienced before. He felt a fire within his heart that burned so strongly, so beautifully, like the multicolored flames he had seen at the temple of the Sun Warriors. Katara's mouth opened slightly against Zuko's and his tongue slid in, much to both of their pleasures. She let his tongue explore her mouth and he let her hands explore his body. Zuko felt as though he were on fire; he was smoldering with a desire that he had fought to repress for so long. He kissed her so fiercely. And she kissed back, _hard. _He wanted every moment to last. Zuko wove one of his hands into the tresses of her coffee-colored hair and caressed the side of her face. His other hand at first grasped her waist, but moved to the small of her back to pull her closer into him. He held her so tight; maybe even too tight, but she didn't mind. They had so little time. He wanted this kiss to never end.

Katara's lips strained against Zuko's. She clung to him forcefully; she didn't want him to go away. Katara could feel the heat radiating from him; she could taste sparks on her tongue—it was as if she could taste the very fire of his passion. It was hard for her to imagine that she had ever hated him. Once, she was so full of resentment and bitterness. Now, all those feelings had slipped away. She trusted him with all of her heart. He had saved her life, and in turn, she had saved his. In the saving of each other, they had built an undeniable bond. Katara suddenly terribly wished that she could heal him completely, that she could wash away the scar that marred the left side of his face and had haunted him for so long, the scar that was a bitter and constant reminder of his father's lack of love for him. She wished so many things in that passionate moment. She wished that nothing separated them, nothing at all, not even the thin fabric of her clothes. She wished that she could give herself to him fully. She wished he could feel his bare skin moving over her, that she could feel his body moving inside of her. She wished that they could have an unadulterated future together. And most of all, she wished for fire. A moan of pleasure escaped her lips. Caught up in the moment, she refused to acknowledge that none of these wishes could ever come true on the path that Fate had laid out for her. Her head was filled with nothing but Zuko. Her head was filled with nothing but fire.

For a moment, fire and water existed together as lovers, neither extinguishing the other. Appa looked on at the display of hidden desires with a lazy curiosity in his big, brown eyes. He would never tell, even if he could.

Finally, the two teenagers parted, gasping for breath. As they looked into each other's eyes, a vague understanding passed between them, though neither of them wanted to admit it. To put the unannounced truth into words would be to confirm the boundaries—burdens?—Fate had provided for them. They continued to look into each other's eyes serenely for what seemed like an eternity, until Zuko spoke up. The persistent truth unceasingly announced its presence to him, yearning to be spoken.

"You know…" he whispered. He hesitated for a few more seconds, not wanting to complete his sentence. "You know that we can't…be…"

Though his voice trailed off in his unwilling admission of the truth, Katara nodded slowly and sadly in understanding. "I know," she confirmed in a whisper. If the Avatar lived, which Katara truly hoped he did, it was her Destiny, her _duty_, to be with him. She felt a sudden stab of guilt followed by a huge wave of confusion. It wasn't that she didn't want to be with Aang… She did_ like_ Aang…but it wasn't like what she felt with Zuko. Her appreciation for Aang was innocent, calm, and slow-moving, if not ever-so-slightly maternal. But her feelings for Zuko were blistering, raw, and intense, like the fire he was able to create and control. But those feelings were ephemeral. Weren't they?

Katara eventually banished her indecisiveness so as to savor those last, fading moments of passion with Zuko, moments like the remaining embers of a fire that had sparked up so suddenly and burned so violently for such a short time.

But how long would those embers remain alive? Or could they be rekindled into a more enduring flame? Neither of them knew.

Zuko and Katara continued to look into each other's eyes for a few more seconds, still holding each other, before parting and climbing into Appa's saddle. There was no time to lose; they had to meet up with their friends—if their friends were still alive.

As Appa rose into the red sky, Zuko looked back at Katara one last time with the lust, the passion, he knew he could no longer show. Their destinies awaited.

But, after all, who knew? Fate was an uncertain and strange thing. It often defied expectations. There was no knowing what would happen between himself and Katara in the future.

But for now, there was no use in getting his hopes up.


End file.
